Ophiomyia Braschnikov

Ophiomyia Braschnikov, 1897: 40 [as subgenus of Agromyza]. Type species: Agromyza maura Meigen, 1838 [misidentified as curvipalpis Zetterstedt], by monotypy. Hendel 1920: 114 [as genus]; Frick 1952a: 375; Spencer 1964: 775, 1969: 81; Spencer and Steyskal 1986b: 37; Černý 1994: 455; Lonsdale 2014: 486.

Tylomyza Hendel, 1931: 181 [as subgenus of Ophiomyia]. Type species: Madiza pinguis Fallén, 1820, by original designation. Enderlein 1936a: 179 [as genus]. Syn. Spencer (1964 a).

Stiropomyza Enderlein, 1936a: 179. Type species: Phytomyza aeneonitens Strobl, 1893, by monotypy. Syn. Frick (1952a) [not explicit].

Siphonomyza Enderlein, 1936a: 179. Type species: Agromyza proboscidea Strobl, 1900, by monotypy. Syn. Frick (1952a) [not explicit].

Aulomyza Enderlein, 1936a: 179. Type species: Melanagromyza longilingua Hendel, 1920, by monotypy. Frick 1952a: 375 [as synonym of Melanagromyza]. Syn Spencer (1966 a) [as synonym of Ophiomyia].

Siridomyza Enderlein, 1936a: 179. Type species: Ophiomyia madizina Hendel, 1920 [= A. nasuta Melander], by monotypy. Syn. Frick (1952a) [as synonym of Tylomyza, not explicit].

Solenomyza Enderlein, 1936a: 179. Type species: Melanagromyza rostrata Hendel, 1920, by monotypy. Frick 1952a: 375 [as synonym of Melanagromyza]. Syn Spencer (1966 a) [as synonym of Ophiomyia].

Stirops Enderlein, 1936a: 179 [nomen nudum - no type species designated].

Stirops Enderlein, 1936b: 42 [attributed to Enderlein 1936a]. Type species: Ophiomyia submaura Hering, 1926, by original designation [Enderlein 1936b: 42]. Syn. Frick (1952a) [not explicit].

Triopisopa Enderlein, 1936a: 179 [nomen nudum - no type species designated].

Triopisopa Enderlein, 1936b: 42. Type species: Agromyza simplex Loew, 1869, by original designation. Frick 1952a: 375 [as synonym of Melanagromyza]. Syn. Spencer (1966 a) [as synonym of Ophiomyia].

Hexomyza Enderlein, 1936a: 179 [nomen nudum - no type designation].

Hexomyza Enderlein, 1936b: 42 [attributed to Enderlein (1936a)]. Type species: Melanagromyza sarothamni Hendel, 1923, by original designation. Hendel 1936: 570 [as synonym of Melanagromyza - followed by Frick (1952a)]; Spencer 1966 a: 38, 1969: 79; Spencer and Steyskal 1986b: 34. Syn. Lonsdale (2014).

Carinagromyza Sasakawa, 1954: 23. Type species: Carinagromyza heringi Sasakawa, 1954 [= Ophiomyia sasakawai Spencer and Martinez 1987], by original designation. Spencer and Martinez 1987 [synonymy].

Penetagromyza Spencer, 1959: 253. Type species: Penetagromyza aloes Spencer, 1959, by original designation. Spencer 1990: 390, 1991: 57. Syn. Lonsdale (2014).

Kleinschmidtimyia Spencer, 1986: Spencer, 1986: 249. Type species: Melanagromyza pisi Kleinschmidt, 1961, by original designation. Spencer 1990: 391. Syn. Lonsdale (2014).

Ophiomyia is a diverse, widespread genus sometimes mistaken for other Agromyzinae such as Melanagromyza and Euhexomyza, but many species exhibit unusual diagnostic external features and varied male genitalic morphology. All examined Nearctic species and virtually all global species, can be diagnosed by an apically truncated clypeus, as discussed in Lonsdale (2014). While the clypeus may sometimes be bulging or broadly rounded, the anterolateral margins are angulate, not rounded. The clypeus is usually also very thin and elongate, with the arms frequently bowed outwards, being particularly pronounced in those species with an anteriorly produced gena. Although several Melanagromyza such as M. buccalis and the new species M. glyptos approach the derived state seen in Ophiomyia, their relationship with the rest of Melanagromyza is revealed by dorsally pilose eyes, ventrolateral tubules on the distiphallus and a symmetrical basiphallus.

Other useful diagnostic characters of Ophiomyia are as follows: if present, there is only a single posteromedial seta on the mid tibia (usually two in other Agromyzinae); the calypter is usually brown marginally (white in most other Agromyzinae); there is usually a medial vertical carina separating the antennal bases and the centre of this carina usually also has a medial swelling that is spindle-shaped to subspherical. The gena is also often produced anteriorly, at least slightly, and can be strongly produced with an apical fasciculus. This fasciculus is an aggregation of multiplicated vibrissae that are variably fused to produce a “horn” . In many species, the inner lobe of the hypandrium is differentiated into two distinct sclerites (but see O. simplex): a setulose, arched sclerite (also found in Melanagromyza and Euhexomyza) and a flat subovate sclerite. The proepiphallus is also expanded laterally to form one pair of upcurved, strongly pigmented lobes (plate-like in O. simplex), the metepiphallus usually has one pair of ventromedial spines (not multiple spines, as is characteristic of most Melanagromyza), and the sclerites of the basiphallus are usually fused basally with the left sclerite atrophied. Lastly, the distiphallus is usually somewhat asymmetric, being slightly twisted sinistrally, and there are no paired ventrolateral tubules (characteristic of Melanagromyza).